Thomas Tuchel Teases Joining Barcelona After Xavi’s Exit

The past few days have been nothing but a mayhem. While fans were expecting players to switch sides during the transfer window, it seems like the managers have taken the cake this time. The past 48 hours have seen both Jurgen Klopp and Xavi announce their respective departures from Liverpool at Barcelona at the end of the season. Their decisions have opened the room for new managers who would be eyeing the coveted jobs. Well, it seems like Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel could be interested in the Barcelona job.

Tuchel talked about a potential move to Spain in an interview just hours following Xavi’s announcement. This is a surprise, as it hasn’t even been 12 months since Tuchel took charge of the Bavarians. However, things have not gone as planned for the manager, with the German reportedly losing the board’s trust in recent weeks.

Tuchel planning for his future with Bayern job at risk

The German discussed the move to Spain in an interview, stating, “Moving abroad would appeal to me again. Spain has an extraordinary league. From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterized by a tremendous amount of self-confidence. When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person.”

Despite everything, Tuchel’s admission is a big surprise as he is yet to complete his first year at Bayern, However, his feelings are understandable with the manager losing the trust of some key players. The likes of Joshua Kimmich and Matthijs de Light have voiced their frustrations with the manager in recent months.

To add more to Tuchel’s woes, Bayern has been behind Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen throughout the campaign. Despite being just 2 points behind table toppers, Leverkusen, this has not sat down well with the Bavarian board who want the manager to produce results in the coming weeks if he wants to avoid getting sacked.

Now, while Tuchel is speculated to be interested in a move to Barcelona, it doesn’t seem like the feeling is reciprocated. The Catalans might already have a replacement in mind with Rafa Marquez and Thiago Motta considered the front runners for the job. Even Mourinho is being tipped to take over, having been spotted in Barcelona.

Xavi announces his Barcelona exit

While Jurgen Klopp’s departure announcement at Liverpool was a massive shock, a lot of people expected Xavi to be done with Barcelona by the end of the season. However, it seems like the manager wants to end things on his terms. The Spaniard talked about his future with the club following the team’s 3-5 defeat to Villarreal.

READ MORE: Impossible For Jurgen Klopp to Coach FC Barcelona: Liverpool Boss Would “Play Tennis” If He Watched Xavi’s Side in Childhood

The Barcelona head coach claimed, “I think the club needs a change of dynamic. For the good of the players, I believe that they will free themselves. We play with a lot of tension. For the good of the board of directors, it is best that I leave.”

Barcelona are currently third in the league table, 10 points behind second place Real Madrid, who also comfortably beat them 4-1 in the Supercopa finals. Now nobody would be more unhappy about it than Xavi himself, who spent almost his entire playing career at Barcelona, forming a terrifying midfield partnership with Andres Indiesta. So it adds up that Xavi feels stepping down would be the right thing for his club. In his statement, he said, “Right now, if I think with my head and think about the club, the solution and the best thing is for me to leave in June, that is how I feel.”

Xavi further added he feels responsible for the club’s recent performances and will step down from his position at the club come summer. This will allow Barcelona sufficient time to find a suitable replacement. What do you think of Xavi’s decision? Let us know in the comments below.

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